Isaiah 9:6: “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
Ahhhh…Christmas time…the season of giving! In this season of giving, I have a confession to make. I watch the show The Big Bang Theory. It’s not my fault really. Somebody (who will remain unnamed) has been DVR-ing it and now I’m hooked. It might be a rerun, but on a recent episode, Penny shows up at her neighbors’ apartment with Christmas gifts for Sheldon and Leonard. Sheldon is annoyed to say the least. You see, according to Sheldon, the “foundation of gift giving is reciprocity”. “You haven’t given me a gift,” Sheldon says, “You’ve given me an obligation”. Although Penny insists that Sheldon doesn’t have to give her a gift, Sheldon feels obligated to purchase a “gift of commensurate value and representing the same perceived level of friendship as that represented by the gift you’ve given me”. Sheldon heads to the mall and struggles to find just the proper gift of appropriate size and value. Since he has no idea what Penny has gotten him, he buys many gifts of various values. The plan is to open her gift first and then reciprocate with a gift of similar value.
Luckily for us, when God gives us a gift, it isn’t on a foundation of reciprocity. It is on a foundation of love, forgiveness, and grace. Romans 6:23 says “The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord”. This is the free gift Isaiah prophesied about almost 700 years before the birth of Christ - “To us a child is born, to us a son is given”…the most perfect and priceless gift. We could never reciprocate with a gift of similar value and our Lord does not expect us too. Ephesians 2:8 says “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast”. This gift Isaiah spoke of was given to us and all we must do is accept it. Romans 10:9-10 says “That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved”. This precious and priceless gift of Jesus Christ - Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace…we could never repay our Lord our God.
Back to our episode of The Big Bang Theory. You might be amazed at how Chuck Lorre captured the essence of Christmas in a sitcom entitled The Big Bang Theory. In the end, Penny gives Sheldon a gift that is priceless. Sheldon could never match the value of the gift even if he gives her all of the gifts he purchased. Instead, he does something extraordinary…something way outside of his comfort zone. He gives her a hug...he shows her love…which is exactly what God wants from us (Matthew 22:36-40). On this Christmas Eve, if you haven’t accepted this free gift, don’t let another day pass by. God is standing before you with his hand stretched out holding a gift that outshines the most beautifully wrapped box under ANY tree. It’s a gift of love and forgiveness and eternal life. If you have never accepted it, just pray this prayer…
Father God, I confess that I am a sinner, and I am sorry. I know that because of this sin, I need a Savior. I believe you sent your Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for me, to be my Savior. I believe He arose to live as my Lord. I desire to turn from my life of sin and give my life to you. I ask You, Lord Jesus, to forgive my sin and come into my heart as my Savior and my Lord. In Jesus precious name, Amen.
If you have already accepted that precious gift, take some time to celebrate His amazing and everlasting love for you! Merry Christmas to all my friends!
Today's post is submitted by Kelly Coxe
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